How To Save A Life
by Kate Shephard
Summary: Jate and Skate angst. It doesn't lean towards one more than the other. Warning: Character deaths.


I wrote this in school while I was bored. I thought it was quite sad, but you'll just have to decide for yourself.

How To Save A Life - The Fray

**Bold - Lyrics**

_Italics - Flashback_

Regular - Regular

* * *

**Step one you say we need to talk**

**He walks you say sit down it's just a talk**

**He smiles politely back at you**

**You stare politely right on through**

Finally, she was able to confront him. He didn't want to talk, but, finally, she had convinced him that they needed to. She didn't even know where to start though. Everything was just a mess. Everything that could have gone wrong seemed to have finally just gone wrong. Should she start with him cheating on her? With how Jack couldn't save their baby? Or with how she knew she loved Jack now?

**Some sort of window to your right**

**And he goes left and you stay right**

**Between the lines of fear and blame**

**And you begin to wonder why you came**

She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off before she could even get the first word out.

"Freckles, if you're thinkin' about lecturing me, you better turn yourself around and go back and look over who's fault this really was."

Kate closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. "Sawyer…" she said, quietly, her voice trailing off.

Sawyer shook his head at her. Turning, he began to walk away.

**Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend**

**Somewhere along in the bitterness**

**And I would have stayed up with you all night**

**Had I known how to save a life**

_Tear streaked down her face as she sat in the hospital room, just waiting. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't be._

_Jack walked in the room, causing her to look up. The look in his eyes scared her half to death. He walked over to her and sat down beside her, taking her hand in his. "Kate…" he said softly. "Kate, I'm so sorry. He's gone."_

_Kate pulled her hand away. "No." she whispered, standing and backing towards the door. She turned and did what she did best. She ran._

**Let him know that you know best**

**Cause after all you do know best**

**Try to slip past his defense**

**Without granting innocence**

Kate grabbed his arm, turning him around. "This isn't working." she told him, shaking her head again. "I think it'd be best to just end it now."

**Lay down the list of what is wrong**

**The things you've told him all along**

**And pray to God he hears you**

**And pray to God he hears you**

Tears began filling her eyes. "Sawyer, you cheated on me." she told him. "And you're blaming me because out baby died." She choked on a sob and looked down.

**Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend**

**Somewhere along in the bitterness**

**And I would have stayed up with you all night**

**Had I known how to save a life**

_The ride home was long. He drove slowly, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. What kind of doctor was he? Jack shook his head. If he could have saved the baby, then maybe he'd still have his best friend._

**As he begins to raise his voice**

**You lower yours and grant him one last choice**

**Drive until you lose the road**

**Or break with the ones you've followed**

"I ain't blamin' you, Freckles! Did I say I was blamin' you?!" Sawyer replied, his voice growing louder.

"I'm leaving, Sawyer." Kate whispered.

"So long, Freckles." Sawyer muttered in response.

A few tears escaped down her cheeks and she turned and ran. She quickly got in her car and headed for Jack's house.

**He will do one of two things**

**He will admit to everything**

**Or he'll say he's just not the same**

**And you'll begin to wonder why you came**

It was dark by the time Kate got to his house. She parked her car and headed nervously for the door. After a moment of hesitation, she knocked.

Jack opened the door, his brows furrowing in confusion when he saw who was there. "What are you doing here, Kate?" he asked with a sigh.

"I want to be with you, Jack." Kate whispered. "I love you."

Jack looked at her for a moment, then shook his head. "I'm sorry." he told her, quietly. "Things are different now." He looked at her sadly, then shut the door.

**Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend**

**Somewhere along in the bitterness**

**And I would have stayed up with you all night**

**Had I known how to save a life**

It may have been minutes, it may have been hours that she stood outside his door, just letting the tears flow. She continued to try knocking, but he didn't answer her. She just couldn't seem to get it through her head that he didn't care for her anymore. Silently, she sunk to the floor, pulling the pocket knife out of her pocket.

**Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend**

**Somewhere along in the bitterness**

**And I would have stayed up with you all night**

**Had I known how to save a life**

It wasn't that Jack didn't care for her anymore. He cared for her with everything he had. He didn't want to though. He was tired of getting hurt. About an hour passed and he finally couldn't take it anymore. He needed her. Turning, he walked over to the door and opened it.

**How to save a life**

**How to save a life**

He'd gotten there too late. He found her lying in the snow on his porch, blood flowing from her slit wrists and her neck. Tears immediately began to run down his face and he knelt down beside her, pulling her into his arms, hearing a soft groan as he did so. He looked down at her. "Kate. Katie. It's okay. I'm going to get you help. Just stay with me, okay."

**Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend**

**Somewhere along in the bitterness**

**And I would have stayed up with you all night**

**Had I known how to save a life**

They buried her in the graveyard next to his house. The funeral was small. Just the preacher, Jack, and Sawyer. The plaque just read her name and had to hearts under it, Jack's name in one and Sawyer in the other. When it was over, the men parted their separate ways, nothing but silence following them.

**Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend**

**Somewhere along in the bitterness**

**And I would have stayed up with you all night**

**Had I known how to save a life**

Three days later the preacher stood in that very same spot, staring at the three graves, one on either side of Kate. He shook his head and read the names on them. Jack and Sawyer.

**How to save a life**

**How to save a life**


End file.
